Consultation launched over proposed new secondary school in Oldham

A CONSULTATION about opening a new secondary school in Oldham has been launched by The Cranmer Education Trust, founded by The Blue Coat School.

The plan is the school in west Oldham would accommodate around 270 pupils in each year and offer a broad curriculum and employ full-time specialist teachers.

Half of the places would be open to anyone with no faith or religious connection while the other half would be offered on a faith basis, with places for children of all faiths.

Julie Hollis, Headteacher and CEO of the Cranmer Education Trust, explained: “The Local Authority’s data shows there is a considerable shortfall in secondary places.

“Plans to expand existing schools will help alleviate this, however these developments can take time.

As housing developments continue to bring more people to the area, the pressure on secondary places in Oldham is in danger of becoming acute.

“We need to plan ahead and make sure Oldham has another really good secondary school to offer choice to parents and help build up the overall quality of education across the town.”

She added: “Our Trust is led by people who have a strong local commitment and believes we are well-placed to open a new school – a Blue Coat II – which will serve the whole community.

“We already have an outstanding secondary school with an excellent track record for educational achievement and progress, and we want to use what we have learned to create another first-class school for Oldham children.

“The Blue Coat family is growing. We’ve established a Multi-Academy Trust, we’ve got strong governance led by local people; and we have excellent services for finance, estates and ICT development, and HR.

“We have a recognition agreement with the unions and professional associations and we meet regularly and formally to ensure our staff are valued and looked after as much as our students.”

Visit The Cranmer Education Trust website for further details about the plans for the new school: www.cranmereducationtrust.com They would be delighted to hear feedback from parents or local people.